Not Applicable.
The invention relates to carts and the like for musical drums. More particularly, the invention relates to an integrated drum case and transport cart or dolly.
A drummer, being one who plays drums, will commonly use a number of drums in the performance of music and the like. The drums used may be said to comprise a drum set. Each drum in a drum set may be an expensive instrument individually. Thus, the set may be all the more expensive. Accordingly, one will prefer to care for the drums and will commonly transport and store the drums in protective cases, which may each include a body and a lid. Further, stands and other accessories are typically employed with a drum set to facilitate the playing of the drums. One may readily see, then that a large and unwieldy number of case components and accessories accompanies a drum set. One may further appreciate a great desire to control and simplify the handling and use of the drums, cases, and accessories.
Generally, hand trucks are comprised of an open framework configuration with side rails along with opposing receiving structural adjoining braces which are spaced vertically along the frame in addition to forwardly disposed adjacent nose portions supported by wheels, generally adapted for use in transporting various objects such as boxes, cartons, and cylinders with the load being supported by the vertically inclined framework and the forwardly disposed nose portion. There are also other types of hand trucks with an open framework configuration along with various assemblies and compartments to accommodate specific applications such as transporting laundry, garbage cans, and welding equipment. Hand trucks intended for curvilinear loads are normally provided with arcuate structural adjoining braces, and usually without any type of outer protection for fragile loads. Generally, owners of these hand trucks use them for industrial purposes such as transporting heavy barrels, kegs, or cylinders, and curvilinear loads of an industrial nature usually are not fragile, and do not require any type of protection for the load surface, and since musical drums and related equipment are fragile in design, typical industrial hand trucks with standard arcuate structural adjoining braces are not suitable for transporting musical drums and related equipment due to the overall dimensions of the hand truck, and also due to movement of the musical drums against the structural adjoining braces during use which would cause surface damage to the musical drums and related equipment.
In regard to standard musical drum cases, typically they consist of a simplified cylinder and handle, with a dimensionally uniform terminus on the lower half, while the upper half embodies an aperture portion which inwardly accepts a certain musical drum of a corresponding smaller diameter and in some instances, optional drum support foam pieces, and outwardly receives a provided lid of a corresponding larger diameter along with some type of latching device for temporary closure which when assembled, forms a completed apparatus and provides adequate protection during transport for a certain musical drum, wherein the load is supported by the upper and lower half of the case, or by optional upper and lower inner drum support foam pieces. Typically these types of cases are cumbersome to assemble and disassemble, and are difficult to store when not in use, and in addition, are usually transported in pairs. Therefore it is not possible to transport an entire musical drum set configuration in one movement.
Accordingly, a hand truck for musical drums of the invention facilitates storage, transport, protection, and control of drums and drum accessories. The hand truck for musical drums of the invention has a frame and a plurality of drum compartments within the frame. Each compartment has an arcuate inner wall that corresponds to a preselected drum, which is protectively releasably received in the corresponding compartment. A wheel assembly and a handle are connected with the frame and facilitate cart transport of a drum set in the compartments. Further compartments may also be provided for accessories.
The invention (which is PTO Disclosure Document Number 420748, dated Jun. 11, 1997) is a new and useful design of a hand truck and case for musical drums that provides for movement and storage of musical drums and related equipment. Load-supporting removable drum support foam pieces and other U-shaped storage compartments are secured and nested inside a protective arcuate shell supported by a U-shaped framework configuration that includes support wheels. The invention is generally adapted for use in either a vertical movement position, or a horizontal load/unload position. A first handle is provided to propel and maneuver the hand truck, while a second handle is provided to aid in the stability of the hand truck or to aid in maneuvering the hand truck with the handle.
A new and useful design of a hand truck and case for musical drums that forms a vehicle for movement and storage of musical drums and related equipment that incorporates a tubular frame with an upper propelling handle, and a lower handle supported by wheels, with U-shaped structural adjoining braces, that further support a hook and loop fastener lined arcuate protective shell with upper and lower stationary end panels in which are nested cymbal and bass drum pedal storage compartments, as well as U-shaped drum support foam pieces, that are also lined with hook and loop fastener material, can be secured inside the protective shell into a configuration relative to a given drum set whose quantity of drums are relative to the number of drum support foam pieces with one piece per drum. Each drum is placed inside a drum support foam piece securing the musical drum around the lower half independently. Also incorporated in to the protective shell are the cymbal and bass drum pedal storage compartments, which are both stationary, and are located toward the upper half for convenience purposes.
Inside the cymbal storage compartment is a cymbal support foam piece in which are a series of U-shaped protective slots circularly cut into a configuration relative to the number of cymbals within a drum set configuration with one slot per cymbal. Each cymbal is placed into a slot that corresponds dimensionally to each particular cymbal with the inner dimensions of the foam slots securing the cymbal along its outer edges and surface.
Inside the bass drum pedal storage compartment are foam bass drum pedal cushioning pieces. These foam pieces cover all four sides of the compartment as well as under the lid. The bass drum pedal is simply placed into the drum pedal compartment with the bottom foam supporting the drum pedal independently and the foam side pieces cushioning the drum pedal.
And finally, the vehicle is covered with a protective lid. This lid which is square in shape and spans the entire length and width of the shell, is flat on one side while having a series of lid foam pieces on the other, which support the musical drums from the top and are secured into a configuration relative to the dimensions of a given drum set configuration where the quantity of foam pieces are relative to number of drums with one foam piece per drum.
These and other features, objects, and benefits of the invention will be recognized by one having ordinary skill in the art and by those who practice the invention, from the specification, the claims, and the drawing figures.